Economic Botany PDF

Introduction: What is Economic Botany?  INTRODUCTION What is economic botany? Kalkman (1989) defines it as "Within botany it is that field of knowledge, study and research that is concerned with plants used by man.“ "Economic botany is the study of plants, fungi, algae and b...

Introduction: What is Economic Botany?  INTRODUCTION What is economic botany? Kalkman (1989) defines it as "Within botany it is that field of knowledge, study and research that is concerned with plants used by man.“ "Economic botany is the study of plants, fungi, algae and bacteria that directly or indirectly, positively or adversely affect man, his livestock, and the maintenance of the environment. The effects may be domestic, commercial, environmental, or purely aesthetic; their use may belong to the past, the present or the future.“ (Wickens, 1990)  INTRODUCTION Before man domesticated animals and learned how to cultivate plants, he was unable to form settlements because his entire time was occupied with wandering in search of food. “Paleolithic” or “Old Stone Age”-the earliest and longest period of human history which began 1 and 3 quarter million years ago concept of farming and domestic animals as such did not exist. The people of this Age were able to use fire and chipped pieces of hard stones (flint) into rough implements (such as crude hand axes and scrapers), which were used to remove flesh from animal hides.  INTRODUCTION “Mesolithic” or “Middle Stone Age” Agriculture began man lived by the spear, the bow and the fishing net. shift from a food gatherer to a food producer is assumed to develop independently  INTRODUCTION “Neolithic” or “New Stone Age” Began about 6000 BC when ground and polished stone tools became the rule, and agriculture continued to develop. Cultivation of plants was a great evolutionary accomplishment that relieved some of the members of a tribe from food gathering and hunting duties.  INTRODUCTION In today’s highly industrialized world, modern man’s life still depends fundamentally on agriculture. Agriculture is the backbone of man’s existence. The three basic necessities of life–food, shelter and clothing, and a host of other essentials are still derived mainly from the vegetable kingdom. It will be worthwhile to discover why the vegetable world deserves such interest, admiration and respect. INTRODUCTION  Energy Giving Foods and Flavorings The food value of angiosperms is correspondingly very high. The three main classes of food materials, namely carbohydrates, fats and proteins as well as other important nutrients such as vitamins and minerals are all obtained from the flowering plants The bulk of the world’s food supply comes from rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, barley, etc.  Energy Giving Foods and Flavorings Vegetables and fleshy fruits contain comparatively less stored food they provide us with vitamins and mineral salts that are essential for the maintenance of health.  Energy Giving Foods and Flavorings Although not strictly food, all our spices are obtained from plants, of which the most familiar are paprika, pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and mustard. The characteristic aromas and flavours of the spices are attributed to different essential oils  Energy Giving Foods and Flavorings Man’s chief non-alcoholic beverages-coffee, tea, and cocoa, and alcoholic drinks also came from plants. Cocoa and chocolate from cacao seeds combine flavor and greater food value.  Plants and Home wood is employed as a source of structural support, as a principal constructional material for housing and transportation and as a raw material for the manufacture of paper, rayon, plastics, explosives, lacquers, cellophane and photographic films. The paper industry depends largely upon wood pulp. Thus, plants are the carriers of written words, ideas, and information, and have been referred to as the “medium of thought”  Plant Fibers and Fabrics From the earliest times until today, man has used fabrics of many kinds for protection, warmth, personal adornment and even to display personal wealth. plant fibers are used in the manufacture of ropes and strings, brushes and brooms, paper and paper products, upholstery work (filling mattresses, cushions, etc.) and life belts. Fibers of commercial importance, however, are relatively few, the most important of which is cotton and kapok (surface fibers); flax, jute, hemp, roselle, and ramie (soft fibers); abaca and sisal (hard fibers)  Plants and Health Primitive people, the world over, have always used many different kinds of plants as cures for various ailments. Cinchona- quinine obtained from the bark used as an antimalarial drug. foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.)-the leaves provide digitalis – a valuable heart stimulant Opium and its derivatives Papaver somniferum L., are used to relieve pain and induce sleep. Antibiotics have the property of preventing the growth and development of pathogens. Narcotic drugs-opium and its derivatives, marijuana, cola, betel nut, coca and tobacco, of which the first two especially are habit- forming drugs  Plants and Coloring Materials Since ancient times, vegetable tannins and dyes have been used for the purpose of coloring of fabrics, animal hides and personal adornment. Madder, Rubia tinctorum L., was perhaps the first camouflage to be used in a war. Tannins are organic compounds with a bitter (astringent) taste that tend to accumulate in the physiologically inactive tissues, such as heartwood, cork and old foliage. They are extracted either from the bark (hemlock, chestnut oak, mangrove), wood (quebracho), leaves (sumac), fruits (divi-divi), or from other parts of the plant. Tannins combine with proteins in animal hides to form soft and pliable leather. They are also used for the manufacture of inks  Plants and Atmosphere From the earliest times, plants have been purifying the atmosphere by assimilating carbon dioxide. By increasing the number of trees in a city, its supply of oxygen can be augmented by the photosynthetic activity. Trees in the regions of low rainfall absorb water from considerable depths and release it into the atmosphere, thereby improving the climate  Plants and Perfume Chemically, essential oils are mostly derivatives of benzene and terpenes (aromatic compounds) Essential oils were used by the early Egyptians for mummification (preserving the dead). Today, essential oils from the flowers of jasmine, carnation, lavender, champaca, rose and many other plants give a pleasant odor to perfumes, soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, and incense. Oil of citronella- derived from Cymbopogon nardus (L.), Rendle-a common ingredient of low-priced soaps, perfumes and insect repellents. Camphor- obtained from the distillation of wood of the camphor tree, Cinnamomum camphora (L.) Nees and Eberm- used in the manufacture of celluloid, various nitrocellulose compounds, in medicines and in cosmetics. Wood turpentine- derived from the softwood distillation of the conifers is used as solvents for paints.  Miscellaneous Products PECTINS- are found as a cementing material in the cell wall of nearly all the plants, however, they are usually obtained from citrus rind and green apple residue (pomaceae). They are used in the manufacture of jellies and candies, to increase viscosity in tomato juice and in the tobacco and pharmaceutical industry. GUMS- are mostly amorphous colloids that are largely composed of the degradation products of cellulose or other carbohydrates. Used in industry as sizing, stiffening agents in ice cream and stabilizers and binders in medicinal pills (cough drops and syrups) The most common plant gums are: gum arabic, gum tragacanth, gum karaya and cherry gum.  Miscellaneous Products RESINS- Unlike gums, resins are insoluble in water but dissolve readily in alcohol and other organic solvents to form varnishes. Commercial supplies are obtained from plant families such as the Fabaceae (Congo copal, copaiba balsam and balsam of Peru), Dipterocarpaceae (damars) and Pinaceae (Canada balsam). Amber is a fossil resin, occurring chiefly along the shores of the Baltic Sea. It is an exudate from the extinct pine, Pinus succinifera perfume fixatives, ingredients in incense and tobacco flavorings, in the manufacture of plastics, paints, varnishes and in some pharmaceuticals. manufacture of linoleum, oil cloth, printer’s ink, roofing compounds, soaps, adhesive, and for sizing paper.  Miscellaneous Products LATEX PRODUCTS- a milky, viscous, colloidal secretion, occurring in specialized laticiferous ducts. Products derived from latex are rubber, gutta percha, balata, and chicle. Para-rubber tree, Hevea brasiliensis of the family Euphorbiaceae rubber is used in hundreds of products, such as tyres, tubes, hoses, etc. Gutta-percha, is a non-elastic product used in the manufacture of marine cables, golf balls, telephone receivers, waterproofing, adhesives, surgical apparatus and in dentistry for temporary fillings. Balata is also used in much the same way as gutta-percha, but particularly well suited for machine beltings. Chicle is the basis of the chewing gum industry  Miscellaneous Products WAXES- fatty acid esters of monohydroxy alcohols such as acetyl alcohol, ceryl alcohol and myricyl alcohol, and are mostly found as protective coverings on the epidermis of leaves, stems and fruits to retard water loss. Carnauba, Copernicia cerifera- most important wax plant; used in the manufacture of candles and polishes Euphorbia antisyphilitica Zucc. (family Euphorbiaceae) – produces candelilla wax, often mixed with the paraffin wax to make candles  Miscellaneous Products INSECTICIDES- two of the most potent insecticide of plant origin are rotenone and pyrethrum. Rotenone- extracted from the roots of Derris elliptica (Roxb.) Benth. and Lonchocarpus nicou (Aubl.) DC. of the family Fabaceae. pyrethrum-obtained from the unopened flower heads of several species of Chrysanthemum (family Asteraceae), particularly C. cinerariifolium (Trev.) Bip Schultz and C. coccineum Willd.  Other Miscellaneous Products vinegar, butter, cheese, sauerkraut (fermented green cabbage); the tanning of leather; the curing of tea, coffee, cacao beans and vanilla pods; the production of silage, and the extraction of fibres from flax, hemp and jute. examples of the beneficial activities of bacteria through the process of fermentation beer, wine, whisky, and other liquors- Yeasts are used in the baking and the fermentation process of these products Bacteria and fungi act as natural scavengers, decomposing the dead bodies and organic waste of plants and animals into simpler units that can be readily taken up by plants, thereby maintaining soil fertility  Origin of Cultivated Plants Cultivation of plants- is one of the man’s oldest occupations and probably began when he discovered that certain seeds when spilled on disturbed ground grew in some mysterious way into new plants. Early domestications happened first in: Zagros Mountains (Fertile Crescent) in the Tigris and Euphrates Valleys – in Northern Iraq (Old World) Tehuacan Valley of Mexico (New World)  Origin of Cultivated Plants Theophrastus- the “Father of Botany” Aristotle and Theophrastus - were considered so complete and authoritative that there was little else to learn and certainly nothing to question Renaissance- revival of learning happened; had a great impact on agriculture  Origin of Cultivated Plants Beliefs: Came to man as gifts from God Process of cultivation itself improved the heredity of plants Alexander von Humboldt (1807) “we know nothing of the original sources of our most useful plants, their origin is an impenetrable secret”. Charles Darwin (1868) considered that the cultivated plants arose by the profound modifications in the wild plants which were under cultivation  Origin of Cultivated Plants Gregor Mendel He formulated the laws of inheritance and attributed the origin of cultivated plants to natural selection and hybridization. Alphonse de Candolle (1883) his book Origin of Cultivated Plants, studied 247 species of cultivated plants and attempted to solve the mystery about the ancestral form, region of domestication and history of most of our important cultivated plants He classified the plants of economic importance into six classes. those six classes are as follows:  Origin of Cultivated Plants.  Origin of Cultivated Plants.  Origin of Cultivated Plants. Nikolai Ivanovich Pavilov (1887-1943) An outstanding Russian scientist and a pioneer in the field of plant exploration and introduction. He was known for the popular gene center concept of cultivated plants and their wild progenitors.  Origin of Cultivated Plants. Main world centers of origin of cultivated plants as recognized and mapped by Vavilov and his associates.  Origin of Cultivated Plants. Primary accumulated gene centers The process of domestication from the native wild relatives began Characterized by dominant genes Secondary gene center was developed from the cultivated plants significantly characterized by a diversity of recessive characters and was also devoid of wild relatives. Microcenter Very tiny areas of varietal richness which Vavilov called as “agro-ecological groups” A region that may contain an astonishing variation of 1 or more crops, Harlan (1951).  Origin of Cultivated Plants. Harlan (1971)- developed the idea of centres and non-centres. prompted in his thinking by evidence that seems to demonstrate that plant domestication occurred almost everywhere south of the Sahara north of the equator from the Atlantic to the to the Indian Ocean.  Origin of Cultivated Plants.  Origin of Cultivated Plants Hawkes (1983)-postulated an alternative scheme to clarify the. concept of nuclear centers of agricultural origins and regions of diversity. nuclear centers of agricultural origins are the places where the agriculture first began or is believed to have begun. regions of diversity are the areas into which the crops spread, from the nuclear centres, and in which additional cultivars arose, by both unconscious and conscious selection. These regions correlate fairly closely with Vavilov’s centers but it is necessary to designate some of the names.  Origin of Cultivated Plants.  Origin of Cultivated Plants.  The Future Role of Plants in Relation to Mankind Overpopulation. Many scientists, demographers, and political thinkers have predicted doom for the human race because of the growing imbalance between the food production and population growth  The Future Role of Plants in Relation to Mankind Increasing the world’s food supply will involve many different approaches:. A) bringing more land under cultivation B) the production and more efficient distribution of chemical fertilizers and insecticides C) the introduction of modern agricultural technology to all the underdeveloped countries of the world. D) Improvement of crop plants and animals through genetic engineering E) Extension of irrigation projects, including reclamation of sea water. F) the increasing utilization of marine resources not only fish and animals but also the direct use of marine algae as a source of human food. G) tapping other underexploited and unidentified food sources.  The Future Role of Plants in Relation to Mankind Protein malnutrition:. Starchy food is not a major concern in the world but the problem is an inadequate supply of protein in the diet. A greater part of the undernourished people in the world suffers from protein deficiency. Kwashiorkor and marasmus are considered to be the most serious of the diseases prevalent in pre-school children and are caused by protein malnutrition and partial starvation or chronic calorie deficiency, respectively  The Future Role of Plants in Relation to Mankind The production of high-yielding and high-quality varieties of cereals, millets and pulses would, therefore, offer the least expensive and most practical way of diminishing the threat of protein malnutrition. Efforts are also underway to extract proteins from grasses, algae and microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria. Leaf proteins are nutritionally better than those in seeds and as good as animal proteins, except for eggs and milk.  The Future Role of Plants in Relation to Mankind The forests will have their role to play in the future of our increasingly densely populated planet. Coal, petrol deposits and minerals will be exhausted within a few generations and even atomic energy is dependent on fissionable material such as uranium, which, although plentiful, cannot be relied upon indefinitely. Forests will ultimately remain our last reservoir  Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature NOMENCLATURE Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature Plant Collecting, Taxonomy and Nomenclature THANK YOU FOR LISTENING! QUESTIONS? CLARIFICATIONS? ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?